a few words about miss chelsea elizabeth...

she likes: making kites, dancing in the rain, adventures, little-while friends, letters, whole-leaf tea, crayons, bare feet, jumping in rivers/streams/creeks/waterfalls, language, catching the clock as it changes numbers, sleepovers, trains (big or small), cuddling & waking up before the sun rises, among other random things.

oregon-born, seattle-raised, bellingham-bred and franco-refined, she had moved back to the states from her affairs across the atlantic & now resides in columbia city with french husband & love of her life rémy. they spend most of their time taming the garden, taking care of their three chickens & two cats, and preparing the urban homestead for a new little chick of their own.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

soy milk!!!

I have been wanting to make homemade soy milk for years now, but it always seemed like it should be really complicated and hard to do. Well, my friends, it's not.

There are basically two ways to make soy milk:

1) Blend, strain, cook.2) Cook, blend, strain.

The first is the traditional Japanese method, so I decided to try it.***WARNING***: this method makes a VERY strong tasting milk. If you don't like the taste of soy, I'd recommend trying the second way instead for a milder taste.

What you need:_Dried soybeans (the yellow, not the green, and I prefer organic)_Water (you basically use twice as much water as you do beans, but you can always add more if needed)_Sweetener (optional, but most people will want to add either honey, vanilla or almond extract, maple syrup, or any combination of above to sweeten the milk a bit)_Cheesecloth (there's no debate here; you absolutely need it)_A big pot

Steps:1: Fill up a big pot with room temp water and add the beans (I used 500g and got about 3L of milk, but you can use more or less depending on your needs). Let them soak over night. The beans will double in size by morning. Rinse the beans with fresh water in a colander. Pick out the discolored/gross-looking ones and any dirt you can.

the beans, the next morning. notice the discolored ones. pick those out.

2: Try to remove as many skins as you can by rubbing the beans between your fingers, but don't sweat it if it takes too long (similar to removing skins off garbanzo beans).

3: Blend the soybeans in batches in a blender with twice as much water as beans. The finer you grind, the more soymilk you can extract, and don't be afraid to add more water.

it should look kindof like a milkshake when you're done blending.

4: Pour the slush through cheesecloth, letting the liquid drip into a large pot. Twist the cheesecloth to extract the milk and let it drip for a few minutes. Put the bean curd, "okara" on a plate to the side.

5: Reblend the okara once or twice more, adding water, to extract all the soymilk you can. Strain it with the cheesecloth as you did before. If you want, put the "okara" in the freezer to use later (there are many many yummy recipes using this, but you must cook it before eating).

the bean curd is also known as okara. it can be used to make meatless patties, meatless meatballs, can be added to soups and stews and is very high is protein & iron. it must be cooked before eating, though.

6: Scoop off the white foam on the surface of the milk. Bring the milk to a boil. Add your sweetener (I added three large tablespoons of honey & a tablespoon of vanilla) & stir. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes, occasionally adding water lost by boiling. As with cow's milk, skin will form on the top layer of the milk. Either constantly stir the milk to avoid the skins or just remove them as they form.

scoop off this white foam, either with your hand or a spoon. otherwise the milk will be bitter.

i used honey & vanilla, but maple syrup is a very good sweetener, too.

make sure it's partially covered when you simmer. this helps keep the temperature up without losing too much water. if it gets too thick or too bitter, add more water as you go along.

some people like to dry the skins on chopsticks and use them in other food. they are useful in making fake meats, and are tasty when added to pretty much anything. i didn't have time, so i just threw them away.

7: Filter, bottle and let it cool in the fridge.

filter just to make sure you didn't let any grains slip by.

tadah!!

8: Enjoy!!!

rémy really enjoys it warm; we use it to make hot cocoa and/or just warmed milk with honey.

like i said, this method results in a very bold flavor, which (if you're not used to soy milk) may take some getting used to. the taste is more mild warm than it is cooled. you can always cut the milk with water, too, to make it thinner later. i plan on trying the other method soon, too, and will most certainly let you know how it turns out!!